The Latest: Equipment, computer failure led to sewage spill

January 22, 2018

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a sewage spill that closed several beaches in California’s central coast (all times local):

12:00 p.m.

An official said Monday nearly 5 million gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean in Monterey County after a bar screen at a water treatment plant got clogged and the computer system failed to sound an alarm.

Monterey One Water general manager, Paul Sciuto, says the spill at the facility in the city of Marina started Friday night and that an operator at the plant stopped the spill about eight hours later on Saturday morning.

He says it has not yet been determined what caused the computer failure.

At least eight beaches remained closed Monday in the area about 110 miles (160 km) south of San Francisco.

Sciuto says lab samples were taken Sunday afternoon to determine if the area is safe and that results are expected later Monday.

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5:34 a.m.

Several beaches along California’s Central Coast are closed after nearly five million gallons of sewage spilled into the ocean in Monterey County.

The county’s Environmental Health Department says the massive spill was stopped by 4:30 a.m. Saturday at the Monterey One Water wastewater treatment facility. Officials didn’t say when it started.

The Monterey Herald reports the cause was failure of a bar screen, part of the sewage filtering system.

At least eight beaches are closed in the area about 110 miles (160 km) south of San Francisco.

The newspaper was unable to contact Monterey One or state parks department officials for comment on Sunday.